“Me too, pickle. You know I'm only a phone call away though, right? You can call me in the middle of the night if you need to. I’ll always answer your call.”
“I know... I sleep in Miranda’s bed sometimes.” She stares down at her feet, refusing to meet my gaze.
I tug on her hand to stop her from walking, I squat down in front of her and wait until she makes eye contact with me. I hold both of her hands in my own.
“You’re allowed to sleep with Miranda if she’s ok with it, I’m just letting you know I'm not going anywhere. It’s still us against the world, ok?”
“Us against the world.” She repeats.
“Are you scared of him coming back?” She nods her head, fear evident in her eyes. “I promise you, Macy, he isn't coming back anytime soon. He’s in jail and won't be getting out for a long time.”
“You shouldn’t be mad at Miranda... I told her to call the police. I thought he was going to kill you.” Tears fill her eyes and slowly make their way down her cheeks. My heart breaks all over for this little girl standing in front of me.
She doesn’t deserve this, none of it. She doesn’t deserve a mom who walks out on her, an alcoholic dad or a brother who overreacts when people are trying to help us.
“I’m sorry. I overreacted when I found out Miranda called the police. I shouldn’t have been mad at her; she didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve been trying to apologize since I got out of the hospital but she doesn’t want to talk to me.”
“She cries a lot. She doesn’t know but when she thinks I'm asleep, I hear her crying.”
Macy’s words are like a knife to my already broken heart. The last thing in the world I want to do is make Miranda cry.
“I'm gonna fix this, I don’t know how but I’ll figure it out. I can't lose her.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Miranda
LIAM WON'T LEAVE ME alone. He tries to talk to me at least once a day since he was released from the hospital. I want to punch him in the face and cry all at the same time. He makes me feel weak and hopeless which makes me even more angry.
I slide my tray onto the lunch table, plopping down into my normal seat. I’ve avoided the lunch room for the past two weeks. I didn’t want to spend any time with Liam, but he’d always find me. There’s no point in avoiding it if he’s going to come to me anyway.
I can feel him enter the room before I glance up from drenching my chicken nuggets in honey. I let out a long breath, preparing myself for the normal Liam speech.
I’m sorry... I overreacted... Please forgive me... I miss you, Mira... I want you back... I feel lost without you...
I’m tired of it. Each and every comment is like another stab into my already broken heart. My chest physically aches with each apology but I can't forgive him.
When I peek up at him through my hair, his eyes are locked on me. A determined look on his face. Shit, where’s Frankie and Noah when I need them?
When he’s mere steps from the table, someone plops down next to me.
“Hey, Miranda.” Kyle says, a flirty grin taking over his face.
I swear I’ve never been so excited to see Kyle in my entire life. I could totally kiss him right now. Liam drops into the chair across from me. I don’t need to look to know he’s glaring at Kyle; I can feel the heat of his stare from here.
“Hey, Kyle. How’s baseball going?”
“Amazing! I love playing. When are you gonna come cheer for me?”
“I didn’t know you needed some cheerleaders to cheer you on.”
“I don’t need cheerleaders,” he draws out the s, “I just need you.”
“Hmm, I’ll have to check my schedule and see if I have time for a baseball game. It’s not nearly as interesting as football though.”
I throw him a wink when I catch the smug smile on Liam’s face. Liam and Kyle both play baseball but Kyle doesn’t play football. If Liam thinks football is going to help his cause, he’s sorely mistaken.
“Oh really? And how’s football more interesting?”
“Well, all you’re doing is hitting a ball and running in circles.” I shrug my shoulders.
Kyle throws his head back laughing. He has a nice laugh, deep just like his sexy voice. He’s attractive and muscular, but not quite as muscular as Liam. Kyle always has on a backwards ball cap and if the weather allows it, he’s wearing a tank top.
“Oh, babe, it’s so much more than hitting a ball and running in circles. How about we go out to dinner Friday night and I’ll explain it all to you.”
I internally cringe when he calls me babe. Something about it feels... weird. Liam’s the only person I’ve ever allowed to call me that.
Speaking of Liam, he’s kept quiet, listening to our conversation until now...
“I can teach her anything she wants to know about baseball.”
Kyles eyes narrow, his gaze bounces from Liam to me and back again.
“Are you two...” He gestures back and forth between us.
“No!” I blurt out at the same time as Liam hisses, “Yes!”
I glare at him, shaking my head.
“Liam and I aren’t anything. I’m single as can be.”
“Like hell you are.” Liam growls.
“No, I am. My last piece of shit boyfriend made it very clear we were over. He didn’t want to listen to a damn thing I had to say! Pretty sure that makes me single.”
“Mira, I said I'm sorry.”
I hold up a hand, my other hand massaging the ache in my chest. An ache that’s become all too familiar for my liking.
“It’s over, Liam. That was your decision, you don’t get to change it now.” I turn my attention back to Kyle. “I’d love to go out with you on Friday. What do you want to do?”
“How about we grab some burgers then go to the lake and watch the sunset?”
“That sounds amazing.”
“Fuck no! You’re not going to the lake with him!”
“What the fuck is your problem, Hayes?” Kyle hisses.
“My problem, Thomas, is that you’ve taken your last five dates to the lake. You brag about how you fuck them in the bed of your truck and Miranda deserves better than being the girl in a locker room fuck story.”
I can't even be mad at Liam at this moment. I don’t want to be a locker room fuck story, that’s not who I am. I'm not the girl you brag about, because I won't let you treat me like that.
“Kyle, you can go now.” I say calmly.
“Oh... uh... so... are we on for Friday?”
I plaster a fake smile on my face, raise my eyebrows slightly and turn so my attention is fully on Kyle.
“No, Kyle, we’re not on for Friday. You will never be taking me on a date and if you even try to ask me out again or spread a rumor that we did go out, I'm going beat the fucking shit out of you. I'm going to send a picture of some guy’s small dick to every girl in the school, tell them all you have gonorrhea and you got it from Bianca. I’ll then tell the coach you’ve been using performance enhancements to prepare for college scouts. I’ll ruin your sorry ass until you’re begging me to leave you alone.” He tries to respond but I hold up a hand to stop him. “And when I'm done with you, I’ll call my older brother and let him know what you did. Noah, my best friend, he’ll also be made aware of what an asshole you are. I’m sure his fist will wanna have a little conversation with your face. Do you understand what I'm saying?”
He swallows the lump in his throat, nodding his head with wide eyes. I slap his thigh close to his dick, he jumps away from me.
“I'm glad we’ve come to an understanding, Kyle. Now,” I glance over my shoulder, catching Bianca’s gaze locked on me, eyes narrowed. “it’s time for you to get up, march over to Bianca and never talk to me ever again. Nice chatting with you though.”
He rushes away from the table, straight for Bianca like a good little boy. I turn my attention back to smothering my chicken nuggets in honey.
I can feel Liam’s eyes on me but I refuse to ack
nowledge him. I munch away on my food until another guy sits down next to me. I roll my eyes, letting out a sigh. Here we go again.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Liam
MY JAW CLENCHES WHEN Levi sits down across from me. He’s too comfortable around Miranda and I don’t like it.
“Hey, Levi.” She smiles up at him. She looks like a small child compared to his broad shoulders and muscular build.
“Hey, did you get all the notes in history class today?”
“Yup!”
“Would you mind letting me borrow them? I couldn’t keep up; my wrist still hurts from my football injury. I can’t risk my grades falling though, I’ll lose my scholarship.”
“How about I make a copy of it? That way you don’t need to worry about writing it.”
Levi’s face lights up, making a genuine smile take over Miranda’s own face. What the hell?
“That would be awesome! Thanks, Miranda.”
“You’re welcome. Are you ready for our test on Friday?”
“I doubt it, I have a hard time studying for history.”
“Do you want to come over tonight and we can study together?”
“You sure you have time?”
“Yup! I need to study anyway. Mr. Pierce’s tests are always difficult.”
I’ve never wanted to punch Levi more than I do right now. He’s a friend of mine but it pisses me off so much that he’s over here flirting with Miranda. She’s my girl, not his and definitely not Kyle’s.
“Awesome! How about I bring a pizza and we can hang out afterwards?”
Miranda’s gaze flickers over to mine before she turns back to Levi.
“That would be great.”
“Hey, I need to study for that test too, you guys don’t mind if I crash your study party and join you, right?”
Miranda’s eyes narrow on me, she knows exactly what I’m doing. Levi isn’t thrilled with the idea, he wanted to be alone with Miranda, but he’s too nice of a guy to tell me no.
“Nah, that’s fine with me, man.” He says, a hint of annoyance in his tone.
“What if I don’t want you there?” Miranda folds her arms across her chest, one eyebrow lifts, daring me to piss her off.
“Please, I need the help. I need to raise my grade or I won’t be going to college in the fall.”
Her eyes soften towards me. She might be mad at me but she doesn’t hate me like she’s trying to pretend. She’s pissed at me, maybe wants to hate me but she doesn’t actually hate me.
“Fine. But if you piss me off, all of my threats on Kyle will be doubled for you.”
“I’m beginning to think you have anger issues.” I smirk.
“I’m beginning to think guys are more hassle than they’re worth.” She mutters under her breath.
After lunch, we both have science. Mr. Michaels blabs about the work we have to do today. I swear I could pass this class with my eyes closed. He doesn’t care anymore, he already told us he’s retiring at the end of the year and he doesn’t have it in him to teach at this point.
Miranda’s doodling on yet another notebook. I swear she must have an allowance just for notebooks, she carries around a different one every day.
Lightly nudging her arm, I pull it away from her, trying to figure out what she’s drawing. It’s a beautifully drawn broken heart. The details are magnificent, drops of blood drip down from the break, spilling into a puddle below it.
Beautifully broken, just like us.
I flip the page over, not wanting to mess up her sketch.
I love you.
I push the notebook back in front of her, locking my gaze on Miranda. I watch every emotion pass over her, before she rolls her eyes, letting out a big sigh.
She scribbles quickly across the page, not writing with the bubbly font she normally does. She shoves the book away, folding her arms over her chest, pretending to focus on Mr. Michaels.
Miranda hates Liam.
“Mira...”
“No, Liam. Just stop. It was your decision to break up, you pushed me away... none of this was my fault. I want you to leave me alone.”
And just like that, another dagger is plunged deep in my chest.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Miranda
THROWING MY HISTORY textbook and notebook on the table, I search the refrigerator for something to drink. A knock on the door has me slamming the fridge and hurrying to open it.
I scowl when I find Liam on the other side. A hopeful smile spreads across his face. I cross my arms over my chest, tapping my foot on the hardwood floor and wait.
He runs his hand through his hair, his brain working overtime trying to come up with something to say. He opens and closes his mouth several times but doesn’t say a word.
“You look like a fucking fish.” I roll my eyes, turn on my heels and make my way back to the fridge.
“Can we talk?”
“Huh, I thought that’s what speaking words meant.”
“Miranda...”
“Don’t Miranda me.”
“Please, I don’t know how to fix this.”
“Some things you can't fix, Liam. Just let it go.”
He pushes the fridge door shut, pinning me against the counter, staring down at me.
“I can't just let it go. I need you back, baby.”
“Don’t you dare.” I hiss.
Before I can say anything else, there’s another knock on the door. I sprint away from Liam, wanting to put as much distance as possible between the two of us.
“Hey, Levi.” I say when I open the door and find the cute football player on the other side.
“Hey, Miranda.” His smile lights up the room, bringing a smile to my face.
“Come in, here let me take that.” I grab the pizza box out of his hands, place it on the counter, motioning for Levi to sit at the table.
“Thank you for helping me, I really appreciate it.” He says softly, wrapping me in a hug.
I hug him back; his embrace is warm and caring. It’s exactly what I need right now.
“I'm happy to help.” I say in a chipper tone.
I pull out a chair, Liam rushes to take one next to it, forcing Levi to sit across from us.
I roll my eyes and purse my lips. I'm going to kill him.
“Is there a specific area you’re having trouble?” I lean forward, resting my arms on the table.
This pushes my boobs up, making them look amazing. Levi notices immediately. When his gaze meets mine, he blushes slightly.
“Umm... I guess I'm having issues with keeping dates and sequence of events straight. I'm horrible at remembering that stuff.”
“Ok, I can definitely help with that. Give me a second.” I jump out of my chair and run into the living room.
Mrs. Valdo keeps a large roll of paper in here for Macy to draw on.
“Do you need help?” Liam calls. Hope fills his voice. He’s trying so hard to be around me, but I need time, I need distance. I'm not sure we’ll ever find our way back to the love we shared for such a short period of time
“Hey, Liam?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you remember how bowling ended?”
“Y-yes.” He stutters.
“If you don’t want a repeat, keep your ass in that chair.”
I rip a few long pieces of paper off the roll before returning to my seat.
“I didn’t ask you to come here, you decided to invite yourself.” I level him with a glare.
“Only because you wouldn’t talk to me.”
“I'm talking to you right now. But no, I'm not talking about that right now or any other time in the foreseeable future.”
I lay out one of the papers, draw a line down the middle, horizontally.
“Ok, Levi. Let’s draw our timeline and fill in the events. This always helps me visualize it better.”
We go through the text, finding a few events to put in the timeline. I quickly realize this is a pain in the ass sitting on opposite s
ides of the table.
“Forget this.” I mutter under my breath before I move to the other side of the table, plopping down next to Levi. I move my chair closer, making sure he can see the paper clearly.
We work for the next thirty minutes, going over the entire section our test will be on. Liam glares at Levi the whole time, never once trying to study.
“Cucumber!” Macy yells, running through the kitchen.
“Hey, pickle! How was school?”
Liam wraps Macy in a hug and kisses her forehead. I can't pull my gaze away from them. This is the Liam I fell in love with. The guy who puts his sister first in everything he does. The guy who loves with his whole heart.
When he pushed me away in the hospital, he destroyed my heart. I can't trust him with it again.
“It was boring. My teacher’s making us do a stupid book report and I don’t wanna.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to read a chapter book; it will take too long.”
“Well, you don’t really have a choice. We can take turns, you read one page then I read one. It will make it a little faster.”
“Really?”
“Sure, but you need to do the rest of your homework first.”
“Alright, deal!”
“What else do you need to do?”
“I have two pages of math homework.”
“Alright, let’s see it.”
Liam pats the chair next to him. Macy plops down, pulls out her homework and slides it over so Liam can see what she’s working on.
“Ew, multiplication sucks.”
I hide my chuckle behind my hand. Liam’s so good with Macy. He’s the greatest big brother and will be an amazing dad one day. Whoever he marries will be lucky.
“I know! It’s so hard!”
“It’s cool, we can figure it out.”
Macy glances up and notices me for the first time. A smile lights up her face.
“Hi, Miranda!”
“Hey, sweetie.”
“Who are you?” Macy asks Levi, a scowl replacing the smile that was there a moment ago.
Never Giving Up (The Never Series Book 2) Page 10